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Ancient Port Complex in Pakoštane near Zadar

Rich archaeological remains from Antiquity were discovered in underwater archaeological excavations in 2004 in Pakoštane, north Dalmatian coastal settlement south of Zadar. The manager of the excavations was prof. Dr. Sc. Zdenko Brusić from the Department of Archaeology of the University of Zadar. A port from the Roman Imperial period was discovered in the bay near Pakoštane, although only a small part of the undersea was explored on that occasion. Its cultural layers revealed rich and versatile finds. Artefacts are often not fragmentary and they are well preserved. Pottery shreds are the most numerous finds: amphorae, plain kitchen pottery, terra sigillata and lamps. Inscriptions were found on some of the vessels. Glass bottles and glasses are also numerous, some of them appearing for the first time in the region of ancient Liburnia. Different kinds of adornments were also discovered as well as Trajan's and Antoninus Pius' coins. Numerous animal and fish bones were found, and different seeds – probably being discarded food of the sailors. Large pieces of hide, possibly used for sails, pullies and other parts of ship's equipment were also discovered. Bricks and roof tiles, which sometimes contain stamps of the workshops, probably belonged to the port utilities. The biggest part of this archaeological material can be dated to the first and second century AD. The port was situated on an exceptionally favourable position, next to the fresh water source, sheltered from the southern winds by breakwater. Inhabitants of Asseria and some other communities from ancient Liburnia probably used this port. But that was not all. An exceptionally well preserved ship was discovered few hundreds of meters west from the ancient port. It is more than 20 m long. It can be dated to the Late Antiquity according to fragmented amphora, coin, shreds of north African relief pottery and radiocarbon analysis of wood samples. Ancient salt pans were also discovered in large bay near Pakoštane by members of the Department of Archaeology of the Croatian Institute for Restoration. Undersea archaeological excavations in the bay near Pakoštane resulted with the discovery of the significant port complex from Antiquity. It was probably one of the most important ports on the sea route next to Croatian coast, which was heavily traveled in Roman times.

Pakoštane; Roman ports; Roman ship; Roman salt pans; underwater archaeology

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